Watermarked Stream Generation via Selective Encrypted Data Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multimedia content watermarking solutions face challenges in ensuring reliability and convenience, particularly when broadcasting content to multiple client devices, as they either rely on untrusted client devices for alteration or are not suitable for simultaneous transmission.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves generating a watermarked stream by embedding watermarking information in a main stream using multiple watermarking data streams, with selective processing controlled by access data and cryptographic protections, ensuring secure and efficient transmission to multiple devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the client device watermarks the multimedia content, then the content can be altered on the client device, but the control remains unreliable because there is no certainty that the client device has not been tampered

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient device controlVSAvoidwatermarking control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the client device watermark the content directly (forward approach), the patent inverts the process by having the server watermark encrypted versions of the content. The client device then selects and combines these pre-watermarked encrypted streams, reversing the traditional control flow and placing reliability control back at the server while maintaining client flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces encrypted watermarking data streams as an intermediary between the server and client device. These streams contain watermarked encrypted content that the client device can select and combine without directly manipulating the original content, thus maintaining reliable server control while enabling client-side customization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the server watermarks the multimedia content using the identifier of the client device, then the watermarking is reliable, but the solution is not convenient for broadcasting multimedia content to a plurality of client devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveserver controlVSAvoidbroadcasting capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the watermarking process by creating multiple encrypted watermarking data streams, each containing content watermarked with different identifiers. The server prepares these segmented streams in advance, allowing the client device to select and combine appropriate segments for different broadcasting scenarios, thus maintaining server control while enabling multi-device adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the watermarking process dynamic by allowing the client device to selectively combine different pre-watermarked encrypted streams based on the specific broadcasting context. This dynamic selection capability enables the same server-controlled watermarking infrastructure to adapt to multiple client devices and broadcasting scenarios without requiring separate watermarking operations for each device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple watermarking data streams are used to embed watermarking information, then the watermarking can be controlled selectively, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveselective processingVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the server pre-process and watermark multiple encrypted data streams before transmission to the client device. This advance preparation reduces the computational burden on the client device, as the complex watermarking operations have already been performed server-side, leaving the client to only select and combine pre-prepared streams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables self-service by designing the system so that each encrypted watermarking data stream is self-contained with its own watermarking information. The client device can independently select and combine these self-sufficient streams without requiring complex coordination or additional processing, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining selective processing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3473009B1Methods, devices and system for generating a watermarked stream

Publication Date: 2023.12.20 NAGRAVISION SA

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AI summary

A device (40) for generating a watermarked stream (39), comprising: at least one input interface (41) configured to receive encrypted control messages (20) and conditional access streams (30) including a main stream (33) and protected watermarking data streams (35) from which a watermarking information (38) can be embedded in said watermarked stream (39); a security module (43) configured to process said control messages (20) and to control access to said conditional access streams (30); a descrambler (45) configured to remove protection applied on at least some of said conditional access streams (30); a watermarking unit (47) configured to generate the watermarked stream (39) from said conditional access streams (30) by selectively processing said watermarking data streams (35) depending on access data (AC, AR) included in some of said control messages (20).